Home -- English -- Ephesians -- 012 (The apostle´s giving of thanks for the spiritual substance of the accountable church leaders in Ephesus)
Previous Lesson -- Next Lesson
The apostle´s giving of thanks for the spiritual substance of the accountable church leaders in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15-16)
Ephesians 1:15
1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers (Eph. 1:15-16).
Paul began by offering worship to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for the great spiritual riches the Almighty had gracefully bestowed upon all believers in Christ. He then went on to give thanks and to worship for the individual saints in the provincial capital. Through messengers passing through he had heard that the Faith of the churches, and especially that of the spiritual leaders in the house churches, had not wavered or drawn back. On the contrary, it had been strengthened and grown. All of this had happened since the time of his previous departure, which came about as a result of the tumult instigated by the silversmith. The faith and trust of the church in the resurrected Lord Jesus of Nazareth, who had been rejected and condemned by the Jews, had withstood the trials, and even been strengthened during persecution. The result was that witness to the Lord´s dominion, power and love had grown, and not been silenced.
The “small apostle” had not begun to offer thanks for the faith of the believers in Ephesus and then stopped because of the many problems. Rather, he had continued offering praise and worship for the grace of his living Lord, grace that had become visible in the churches. Whoever offers thanks will be joyous and consoled in his heart. Whoever only asks and petitions stands in danger, as time goes by, of becoming bitter and downcast. The giving of thanks is just as important as intercession, and sometimes even more important! By giving thanks we honor the Lord Jesus and His merciful Father, who bless, help and save us.
It was not only the bold venture of faith and the childlike trust in the faithfulness of the Lord and Almighty Sovereign that grew in the churches in and around Ephesus; even more, the love between the church members grew. For some Christians faith is, at times, an intellectual act, which is later laid aside as being “dealt with”. True faith, however, manifests itself in works of love and in practical help. The opened eyes of the heart recognize the needs of some church members and the Spirit of Jesus whispers into their awakened subconscious. They then wisely know how and how much they are to help these suffering ones. Friendly help, which does not offend, is a skill of the Holy Spirit.
In his prayer of thanksgiving, Paul testified of the love of the spiritual leaders for all the saints – not just for the loveable – but also for the unlovable. In Ephesus there were Jewish Christians who were not allowed to eat pork or any sort of like sausage, even while the majority of Hellenic Christians generously ate and drank what was offered to them. Even today there are churches in which some believers drink beer or wine, although it causes others to shudder when they see it, and worse still when one person smokes while others are struggling to overcome an irritating cough. Love for all the saints is a problem in some churches. However, Paul could thank God that in Ephesus, at least, a merciful tolerance for one another reigned, and love was building bridges where great chasms had before been visible. Humility of the saints can overcome the pride of some super-pious.
The Greek text of Paul´s prayer list allows for the supposition that he not only prayed, in general, for those in responsible positions, but that he also possessed a more detailed prayer list, whereby he could concretely pray for the individuals by name. Blessed is the person who, disciplined and led by the Spirit of Jesus, prays for church leaders and mission work regularly. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we thank you from our heart that the Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of prayer. He motivates us to give thanks, confess our sin, and to pray, petition and come before You - for us, and for the members of Your church. He leads us to ask You to place Your Spirit upon many unbelievers, that they, too, might learn to live, love and praise. Amen.
Question:
- What do we learn from the intercession of Paul for the church in Ephesus?